"Disheartening experience"

A few weeks ago I came down with a bout of diarrhoea & vomiting, and I contacted NHS24 to be triaged. I’d never usually call regarding something like this, especially as it had only been 10 hours, but a week before we rescued a puppy who had intestinal parasites and the vet advised to be vigilant to symptoms showing in ourselves. The call handler and nurse were lovely, and my notes were passed to OOH who contacted me with reassurance, and my symptoms eased, but didn’t fully go away. 

2 weeks passed and my symptoms got worse to the point I’d lost weight, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep for the pain and I contacted my GP surgery midday, who slotted me in for a call back. My surgery have always been great for appointments even beyond 8am. I was assessed, and stool samples were requested for a suspected bacterial infection I was told to get in touch if I got worse due to the risk of dehydration.

That night, my temperature went up to 40.1, I was shivering, I had a headache, was so dizzy I could barely stand, and I contacted NHS24 again. I said yes to the question of if I was so faint or dizzy I couldn't stand unaided - as my partner was having to assist me. The call handler was great, but the nurse came on the line and went ‘so you’ve said you can’t stand why can’t you stand’. I had explained I can stand and I had confirmed this at the very beginning of the assessment, but I can’t stand unaided - I was far too dizzy. I received a call back from OOH again and the doctor said this was to be expected, I should wait, but I pushed for an appointment - how I felt was not right. I was given an appointment 3 hours later, and during this 3 hours my partner almost took me to A&E as I was worsening so much. I was given injections from OOH and sent away.

I then contacted my GP in the morning and was brought in very quickly. I had low blood pressure, pain, sweating, and they requested urgent blood samples and stool samples. I received a call before the surgery closed, saying my CRP level was raised, and an appointment arranged for early the next day. I was prescribed cocodamol, but my pain worsened, and I went back to the GP later that afternoon and was admitted to Ninewells AMU.

I have been on this ward before, so know it’s busy. The nurse on my bay who didn’t introduce themself, left me crying in the bay and just staring at me, then eventually took my observations, during which they answered their own personal mobile. I was disgusted. I was then passed my admission booklet a few hours later and asked me to fill out my name etc.

30 mins later they returned to ask me admission questions, most of which were skipped. One question, is finances affecting your health, asked in an open bay very loudly. I said no, even though it was a yes, and they laughed. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m not affected.

The staff changed over and the new nurse was lovely. They got me a name band, which the nurse on day shift hadn’t done, and doctors had requested I got a cannula in. This took 6 people, over 10 hours and 27 attempts. I felt like a pin cushion. The staff told me a doctor would use an ultrasound, but more just kept coming and trying. I was also left all this time without pain relief and I was in agony - the nurse kept requesting it and they said they needed IV access to give me it, even though I said I would take paracetamol to take the edge off, but still no. After they got IV access, I was handed two paracetamol. Why couldn’t they just give me this before?

I was then scheduled for a sigmoidoscopy, and the endoscopy staff were all lovely. Fortunately my lab results came back before I was sedated for the procedure and it was decided it wasn’t required at this point.

I was then transferred to Ward 42. The room I was in was very very warm and I was uncomfortable. The ward had no fans available, and tap water which wasn’t very cold. I had to go for cold showers and hardly slept, and was so unsettled. It got to 10pm and I eventually asked a nurse what was going on, no one had told me about which bacteria was found or even the name of the antibiotics I was prescribed. I had campylobacter and norovirus.

I asked to go home that night and was advised the doctor wanted overnight fluids. I find being admitted very distressful and upsetting so was eager to get home but understood I couldn’t. The doctor then decided I didn’t need fluids overnight. The next day I was advised I could go home once I get my antibiotics. I sat for hours after getting this news, waiting for pharmacy, which was another reason I couldn’t be discharged the night before, until eventually a nurse came in and asked if I had cocodamol at home. I had lots at home as my GP prescribed this two days prior. She said I could go home as this was all I was waiting for - I’d finished my antibiotics in hospital.

I feel the care I received wasn’t efficient in some departments and I was put through more distress than was needed. I get the NHS is struggling, however this was ridiculous. I would put a general complaint in to nhs Tayside, but as noted some departments were really good and deserve to know this.